I have brewed beer, wine, vinegar, and hard cider. I have those basics down.

When the SHTF day comes, I want to be able to produce the hard stuff.Which means I need the equipment.

Since brewing for me is usually done in 5 gallon batches, all I need is a distiller that can take those five gallons and reduce it down to about a gallon of 50% alcohol give or take.

I have seen a couple of interesting possibilities on the net, but would love some recommendations.

(Again, I want this for preparedness, not to produce rotgut now. [Although my brother is experimenting with wood chips and improving real cheap whiskey into a smoother drink; but that is another thread.] I wouldn't want to break the law, until there isn't any.)

The process is the same, heat liquid until you get steam, condense the steam to a liquid. Water boils at 212 degrees, alcohol boils at 173 degrees (that is why you can concentrate the alcohol through distillation. Also, if a lot of water vapor leaks out, who cares; but if the alcohol vapor leaks out, well you are losing what you wanted.

So distilling alcohol needs a more enclosed process, and slightly lower temperatures. At least theoretically.

I think Haverwilde unerstands the theory okay. What he's looking for is practical advice from somebody who is actually distilling homebrew alcohol. Which is probably illegal, so I doubt he's going to get much of a response, at least publicly.

Well I am the proud owner of one less tooth--oral surgery--so I haven't been exactly with it for a couple of days; and one new still.

Of course I can't use the still, unless there is an emergency or the SHTF, or some other reason. But if something like that happens I will report on it. But don't hold your breath, it will probably be awhile.